Reading iBooks on macBook Pro??

kimc911 wrote:

4lfredcerv4ntes,

Are you reading the books you purchased from iBooks on a iMac, MacBook Air/Pro?

If so, how are you doing it?

He says he is reading books purchased from the iBookstore using the app Calibre on OS X. It's not possible for any purchased book which has DRM like those that most people want to read, only books from a couple specialty publishers who omit DRM Try it yourself. Same holds for Adobe Digital Editions which has also been erroneously recommended various times in this thread.

Calibre will NOT work with Jobs Bio. It is DRM protected. 'nuff said.

GBPackerfan1963 wrote:

Calibre will NOT work with Jobs Bio. It is DRM protected.

Of course not. Nor will Adobe Digital Editions. The people who keep saying these apps can be used to read purchased iBooks simply don't understand the basics of how ebooks operate.

I just opened a book I bought it iBooks via Adobe Digital Editions. See if that works for you.

mwolf87 wrote:

I just opened a book I bought it iBooks via Adobe Digital Editions.

Please provide the title of the book, so someone can determine whether your experience is relevant for what people here are interested in. ADE cannot normally open anything with Apple's DRM, which is what almost all iBooks have and which is what everyone wants to read.

Earth to Apple... is anyone listening?

Purchased and downloaded "Steve Jobs.epub" to my brand new macbook pro last night using iTunes.

Check for iBook for OS X. Doesn't exist.

Try to open file with ADE -- chapter titles but no content.

Try to open with calibre -- "This book is locked by *DRM*. To learn more about DRM and why you cannot read or convert this book in calibre, click here."

I'm sitting on my couch and I want to start reading my new purchase. My macbook pro is on my lap. My iPhone 4S is in my pocket. I have used Apple computers since 1987. Please explain to me what is not r e t a r d e d about having to read the bio of the former CEO of the company that made both devices on the device that has a 2" x 3" screen rather than a 15" screen. I'm serious. I want to know.

Thank you (if you're listening).

amazing, isnt't it? i'm still confused as to why i can't read my iBooks on my Macbook Pro.

deepnarc wrote:

(if you're listening).

Not likely here. The place where they do listen is

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I misspoke, earlier, regarding calibre. In my case, most of my ebooks were purchased outside of iTunes (epub, pdb and pdf formats) and all were originally DRMed. I purchased programs to unlock them ($30 USD each; one for pdb and one for pdf - the few epubs I had were garbage books that I didn't care about, so didn't bother with them) and convert them to epub (with calibre).

I went back and tried to open one of my iTunes purchased ebooks and calibre will NOT open it. Sorry for the confusion.

Until, and unless, Apple listens to all the feedback (I've sent them several), you're stuck if you don't have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad...that's not to speak of any other current iBooks issues (there are TONS, all thanks to the latest iOS "upgrade," IMHO). Almost makes me want to reinstall Stanza or eReader and purchase DRMed pdb ebooks so I can un-DRM them and convert to epubs that I can read in iBooks or calibre.

$60 was worth it to me as it was far less than I would've had to spend in iTunes to replace them (we're talking over 500 ebooks). The places where I purchased my ebooks are a joke (vis a vis customer service and usability) and there were many I couldn't install in Stanza or eReader (I could only download them to my Mac), which is why I went the route I did. Needless to say, you must have your unlock info in order to use the programs.

<Edited by Host>

I understand the why of DRM (to protect the sellers) but it's awful on the customer (which, of course, the sellers don't really care about as respects DRM) when there are problems like we're seeing.

Use the Apple feedback link and overwhelm them with complaints (I'm not suggesting multiple complaints from each individual, I'm suggesting EVERYONE complain at least once)...maybe they'll FINALLY listen.

The only other suggestion is to call/email and request a refund for your messed up epubs (I haven't done it in awhile, but I think I got info from my iTunes receipts. Don't quote me on that because it's been a long time since I had to do it).

It is really hard to see why Apple would choose not to offer an iBooks reader for OS X. :-(

I have just unloaded on http://www.apple.com/feedback/

so did i :-)

Microsoft isn't the only place that has idiots, IMHO. Case in point: iemoji. I purchased it for my iPhone (also installed it on my iPad) quite awhile ago. I'm a new Mac user (since late December 2010 Snow Leopard 10.6.8 - not keen on "upgrading" to Lion, yet) and it occurred to me to go look in the Mac AppStore for it so I could purchase it.

Sure enough, there it was...for Lion only! W - T - F? The app's been in iTunes for years (at least 2 +) and they couldn't port it for iMac so that it's at least compatible with Snow Leopard? Feedback got an earful from me about that. I screamed at them cuz I couldn't purchase something I feel I should've been able to.

It almost appears as if Apple went to h - e - double hockey sticks in a handbasket when Steve Jobs stepped down. Who IS running this dog and pony show, now? Rhetorical question; I know the answer. I also know they're not doing it very well, based on recent events.

I need to quit coming in here. I just get more and more irritated, LOL.

cakefordinner wrote:

Feedback got an earful from me about that.

Did you really scream at Apple because some 3rd party had not produced an app that you wanted?

No, not really. I was actually quite polite, not that it's actually any of your business.

But, if I had, what's it to you? Are you the hall monitor? I can understand responding to incorrect information (which is, I'm assuming, how you got to Level 9), but asking a question, which smacks of pedancy, beats all. Minus 15 points for you for being arrogant.

I found a version of "Steve Jobs.epub" on one of the free file sharing sites with DRM removed that I could read with Stanza on my macbook pro. I consider this a cosmic refund of my iTunes purchase that I won't be using.